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What Is the Difference Between Home Care and Personal Care?
Date Updated: December 9, 2024
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Sarah has produced thousands of articles in diverse niches over her decade-long career as a full-time freelance writer. This includes substantial content in the fields of senior care and health care. She has experience writing about wide-ranging topics, such as types of care, care costs, funding options, state Medicaid programs and senior resources.
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Dr. Brindusa Vanta is a health care professional, researcher, and an experienced medical writer (2000+ articles published online and several medical ebooks). She received her MD degree from “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine, Romania, and her HD diploma from OCHM – Toronto, Canada.
The difference between home care and personal care concerns the services professionals provide. However, the two in-home care services have similarities and overlap. Moreover, definitions vary among state assistance programs. That said, neither includes clinical or rehabilitative support; seniors with medical needs typically benefit from home health care instead.
Typical Personal Care Services
Personal care refers to nonmedical practical assistance that enables seniors to maintain hygiene and live safely and comfortably at home. Certification of personal care aides varies by state, and employers often offer on-the-job training. Sometimes certified nursing aides deliver these services alongside performing basic medical tasks. Professional caregivers follow personalized care plans to ensure seniors receive appropriate attention.
Examples of personal care include help with brushing teeth and varying levels of support with bathing, from helping seniors to the bathroom and aiding them with stability to hands-on assistance with washing their hair and cleaning their bodies. Some seniors require help with grooming, including combing their hair and trimming their nails or beards. Aides assist older adults in getting dressed, providing various levels of support from helping with zippers and buttons to fully changing garments. Personal care also includes toileting assistance, such as help accessing the bathroom, removing clothes and cleaning after using the toilet.
Common Home Care Services
Home care services include personal care, depending on an individual's needs. However, aides also support seniors with a broader range of daily living activities, including transferring to and from the bed, moving around the home, preparing meals and shopping for groceries. Aides also help seniors run errands, pay their bills and provide local transportation.
Additionally, home care plans may include assistance with domestic chores such as housekeeping. Some seniors only require companion services, which help alleviate social isolation. In such cases, caregivers commonly spend time chatting with older adults, playing games, reading aloud, watching TV and providing company and a friendly face.